Cleaning attachment for type-writing machines



(No Model.)

S." FORD. GLEANING ATTAGHMENT FOR TYPBWRITING MACHINES.

No. 480,257. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

wa WM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SUMMERFIELD FORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CL EANlNG ATTACHMENT FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,257, dated August 9, 1892.

Application filed July 16 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SUMMERFIELD FORD, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning Attachments for Type-WVriting Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification. I

This invention relates to attachments for type-writing machines. Its purpose is to produce a device which may be quickly and easily attached to the frame of a type-writing machine and which will have a brush so secured to the attachment that it may be readily operated for the purpose of cleaning the several type of the machine, said device being extended out over that portion of the basket of the machine where the several type are successively brought to the same spot when printing.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated the device as being attached to the frame of what is commonly known as a Remington typewriting machine.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the machine to which my typecleaning device has been attached. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the machine, showing the cleaning-brush in position. Fig. 3 isan enlarged side View of the attachment proper.

A is the main frame of the machine, the upper table a of which is provided with a circular opening around the edge of which the several type-arms A are secured in a familiar manner.

A are the keys, mounted upon the forward ends of thelevers a, which levers are connected to the several type-arms by the links a As will be readily understood, the adjust ment of the machine is such that the typefaces a when the keys A are depressed, are brought to the same position at a point slightly above the upper surface of the table a of the frame of the machine. The printing-roller supports the paper at this point and receives the impact of the type. WVhen it is desired to Serial No. 358,965. (No model.)

clean the type, I place a brush roller or wheel over this same spot, the paper-holding roller being removed therefrom temporarily.

B is a frame or yoke provided with two or more arms I), having at their outer ends depending flanges b. At the central and rear portion of the plate B is a depending arm carrying at its lower end a suitable boss or hub having an interiorly-screw-threaded opening therein.

B is a adj listing-screw adapted to enter the opening in the boss b so that the end of said screw will press against the frame A of the machine. It will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings that the said frame B of the attachment is rigidly secured to the frame A of the machine by means of the said depending lugs 17' and the said set -screw B. The shape of this frame B is such as to conform to the contour of the frame of the machine to which it is to be attached. For eXample,in making my attachments for Remington machinesI employ the shape of the frame shown in the drawings herewith. It will be readily understood, however, that the Yost machine, the Caligraph, and other styles of machines have differentshaped frames and that it will be necessary to alter the particular contour and shape of the frame B in adapting my device for such other machines. I therefore do not desire to be limited in this specification to the particular form of frame herein shown.

Secured to the frame B are two journalbearing arms C C, the former substantially vertical, the latter curved and extending out horizontally. The upper end of each of these arms C C is provided with a bearing in which a spindle C is revolubly secured therein. Near one end of the spindle C is a small spur-pinion D. Upon the arm C is aspindle d, upon the inner end of which is mounted a relatively large spur-wheel D, the teeth of which intermesh with the teeth of the small pinion D. Upon the other end of the spindle dis a crank or handle D by which the said spindle and the wheel D may be rotated. Upon the end of the spindle C oppositethat to which the pinion D is secured, is mounted a suitable bristle brush, so secured to the end of said spindle as to rotate therewith. In the drawings the spindle is provided at its end may find it convenient to dispensewith the crank D in which case power is applied to the spindle d by means of a suitable rope or leather cord f, leading from the source of power and passing over the small sheave F,

located on the end of the spindle d. When this form of power is applied, the spindle dis generally longer than is shown in the drawings herewith. I have illustrated this modified form in the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It will of course be understood that the arms 0 and C may be made integral with the base-plate B, if desired, and in fact in adapting the base-plate to fit other machines than the Remington this will be necessary.

It will also be noted that the attachment may be applied to the machine from either side.

The manner of using my attachment is as follows: I first raise the traveling carriage containing the paper -supporting roller so that the basket of type-arms is exposed to view. I then place the plate B upon the main frame A of the machine and secure it thereto by means of the set-screw B. I then raise the several type by pressing successively upon the several keys A thus bringing the said type-faces into position immediately beneath the spindle C and in contact with the brush E, and while in that position I rotate the crank-handle D which movement rotates the brush very rapidly, cleaning the face of the type perfectly. It will be observed that byreason of the difference in size of the pinionD and the Wheel D the former is r0- tated many timesto every single rotation of the latter. Thus a very rapid motion is attainable at the brush, which results in very effective and speedy work. It will also be observed that while the face of the type is in contact with the brush the latter, instead of being rotated, may be partially rotated or oscillated first in one, then in the other direction, by simply oscillating the spindle 0 through the medium of the crank-arm D This reversing or oscillatory movement of the brush causes the bristles to enter all the spaces in the typeface and thoroughly clean the same.

It will be observed that in the use of this device the hands of the operator do not come in contact at all with either the type or the type-arms forming the basket, which latter are usuallycovered with ink deposited thereon by the ribbons.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination,with the printing-types of a type-writing machine arranged in a circle and the frame of said machine provided at its top with 'a circular opening through which the types operate, of an attachment for cleaning the types, consisting of a frame adapted to be secured to the top of the machine-frame, a shaft mounted on said attachment-frame and supported at its inner end by said overhanging arm, a revolving brush mounted on the shaft at the center of the said circular opening, and means located at the outer end of the shaft for giving rotary or oscillating motion thereto, consisting of a crankshaftv mounted upon said attachment-frame and gearing connecting the crank-shaft with the brush-shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the printing-types of a type-writing machine arranged in a circle and the frame of said machine provided at its top with a circular opening through which the types operate, of an attachment for cleaning the types, consisting of a frame adapted to be secured to the top of the machine-frame and having a rigid arm which overhangs the central opening of said machine-frame, a shaft mounted in the attachment-frame and supported at its inner end by said overhanging arm, a revolving brush mounted on the shaft at the center of the said opening in the machine-frame, and means located at the outer'end of the shaft for giving rotary or oscillatory motion thereto, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the printing-types of a type-writing machine arranged in a circle and the frame of said machine provided at its top with a circular opening through which the types operate, of an attachment for cleaning the types, consisting of a frame having a rigid arm which overhangs the central opening of the machine-frame, a shaft mounted in the attachment-frame and supported at its inner end by said overhanging arm, a revolving brush mounted on the shaft at the center of said opening in the machine-frame, means for giving rotary or oscillatory motion to the shaft, and a clamp upon the attachment-frame adapted to engage the machineframe, substantially as described.

4. An attachment for cleaning the type of type-writing machines, comprising the baseB and set-screwB, the arms 0 and C, the spindle 0 mounted in said arms, a brush E, mounted upon the other end of said spindle, a wheel D, supported upon the arm 0, larger than and in engagement with the pinion D, and means for imparting a rotary or oscillatory movement to said Wheel D, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention Iafifilx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SUMMERFIELD FORD.

Witnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, GEORGE W. HIGGINS, Jr.

IIO 

